The greater downtown area has five new places where you can kick back, relax and have a drink or two while filling up on burgers, wings and more. Keep reading to get acquainted with these freshman restaurants and bars.
Pitch 25 Beer Park
2120 Walker St.
Pitch 25 Beer Park is a new beer garden and soccer-themed bar with plenty of TVs tuned to game throughout the modern, open space.
The 100 Taps menu features an array of alcoholic beverages, beers and wines organized by flavor. Try the 8th Wonder Brewery's Rocket Fuel, a Vietnamese coffee porter, for something "dark and roasty." De Brabandere's Wittekerke ale falls under "sour, tart and funky."
Hungry? Wings, salads, burgers and chicken dishes are on deck.
With a four-star Yelp rating out of eight reviews, the business has been getting positive attention.
Yelper Trang B., who reviewed it on June 6, wrote, "This is a great destination for a post-work or post-game/pre-game drink. ... The bartenders were quick and waitstaff is readily available."
Yelper Patric A. said, "Very cool open concept, with an indoor soccer field, bean bag toss, shuffle board, foosball tables and many more games for entertainment. This bar is the perfect place for large groups or for a simple night out."
Pitch 25 Beer Park is open from 3 p.m.–2 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on weekends.
Truck Yard - Houston
2118 Lamar St., Suite 150
Truck Yard - Houston is a beer garden and outdoor dining spot that offers a rotating schedule of food trucks. The fresh addition has another outpost in Dallas.
Not far from the BBVA Compass Stadium and Minute Maid Park, the Truck Yard features plenty of seating and a working Ferris wheel. Stop by for live music Thursday-Sunday.
Although the food trucks change daily, the business is serving up cheesesteaks with steak, chicken or wagyu. For drinks, customers can choose from a number of draft beers, wines and cocktails. (You can check out the full Truck Yard menu here and the schedule of food truck occupants here.)
The Truck Yard's current Yelp rating of 4.5 stars out of 95 reviews indicates a warm reception from visitors.
Jackie K. noted, "The environment is super fun. It is literally set up like a truck junk yard, but of course clean and with organized seating. A fun concept!"
Yelper Joel G. wrote, "This place is huge! Lots of cool stuff like a pingpong table, cornhole, live music and, of course, the Ferris wheel. This is a definitely a place you should go to at least once. It also has a big drink selection."
Truck Yard - Houston is open from 11 a.m.–2 a.m. daily.
Rodeo Goat
2105 Dallas St.
Rodeo Goat offers a full slate of inventive burgers at its newest location, with other outposts in Dallas and Fort Worth.
Signature burgers here include the Nanny Goat with goat cheese, and the Olivia Darling with kalamata olive tapenade. Local celebrities also make the menu, with the Marvin Zindler named for the longtime newscaster, and the Billy F Gibbons for the ZZ Top guitarist. For non-beef eaters, Rodeo Goat will substitute the red meat with chicken, turkey, veggie or quinoa patties. View the full menu on its website.
There's a wide selection of craft and draft beers, wines and cocktails. There's also a separate section on the menu just for whiskey, bourbon and scotch drinks.
With a 4.5-star rating out of 153 reviews on Yelp, the location has been getting a great reaction.
Scott W. said, "Always up for a new burger place. This quirky little shop didn't disappoint. Had a cheeseburger and a craft beer at the bar. There was plenty of seating, both indoor and on their expansive outdoor deck."
Yelper Clint M. wrote, "It pretty much creates four different dining experiences: a below-ground dining room, a street-level lunchroom, an outdoor patio space and an elevated outdoor deck."
Rodeo Goat is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, and 11 a.m.–midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Birddog Saint
711 Main St., Unit 101
BirdDog Saint is a bar, providing venue and event space, tapas and more.
Patrons here can enjoy live music or an athletic game on television while they dine. There's pizza, sandwiches and seafood dishes, like the shrimp ceviche and the Texas redfish with vegetables and Meyer lemon beurre blanc, and a watermelon salad with cucumber and mint.
For drinks, look for a variety of cocktails, craft beers and wine.
The business is off to a strong start with four stars out of eight reviews on Yelp.
Yelper Kate S., who posted a review on May 5, wrote, "They have a pretty extensive beer list, nice cocktails and some wine choices as well. The atmosphere is welcoming, and the decor is very cute and rustic."
Diondrea K. noted, "This place is now one of my favorites! Great drinks, good food and service and a cool atmosphere. If you are in Houston and need a cool place to chill check out this spot."
BirdDog Saint is open from 11 a.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
High & Dry
306 Main St., Suite 200
Cocktail bar High & Dry is a tiki-themed establishment with more than 50 different rum offerings on hand.
Happy Hour is from 4-7 p.m. every day at this joint, with $2 off all specialty cocktails, $4 draft and craft beers, and $5 wines and well drinks. Try a rum-based cocktail like the Sunshower with cucumber water, and the cinnamon spiced H&D Cannon Ball. Beers and wines are regularly rotated.
The bar has been warmly received thus far with a current Yelp rating of 4.5 stars out of 27 reviews.
Yelper Ray L., who reviewed it on April 4, wrote, "The first impression of this bar is the very relaxed ambiance it gives off. The ceilings are high, there are tiki statues behind the bar, it is an open space along with a covered terrace. It is super inviting and ready for anybody."
Farrah A. said, "Overall, I'm a fan of the bar. Service was friendly and engaging, loved the woodwork inside (we were informed the owner did most of the work himself — minus the tiki statues); drinks, location, vibe, patio were all great."
High & Dry is open from 4 p.m.–2 a.m. on Wednesday-Saturday. (It's closed on Monday, Tuesday and Sunday.)
